Automobile.



W. J. KENRICK. AUTOMOBILEL APPLICATION FILED IULYIO. I916- 1,261,034. Patented Apr. 2,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I W. J. KENRICK.

AUTOMOBILE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, \916.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEEI 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT UFFICE.

WILLIAM J. KENRICK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO DEARBORN MOTOR TRUCK COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS,

AUTOMOBILE.

1 J. Kinsmen, eltizen of the United States,

residing at Chicago, in the county'of Cook and State of Illinois; have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Automobiles, of which the followingis a full, clear; concise, 'and exact description, reference being Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

Application filed July 10, 1916. Serial No. 108,356.

by shorter and Stronger bolts may be used. The radius arm supporting brackets are desirably formed in pairs and brackets which support the springs are desirably located in line with and above the spacing existing between the brackets of the pairs of brackets that support the radius arms whereby the lcn h of the hangers which support the jack had to the accompanying d1'a\vi1igs..forming sha t may be. reduced.

:1 part of this specification.

My'inveution relates to automobiles that employ jack shafts in driving connection with'the traction wheels of automobiles and 'has for its object the provision ofan improved association of the forward ends of radius arms and the forward ends of the V springs that are employed to mount the automobile frame upon the traction wheels.

' e Inf-accordance with one feature of the invention the radius arms are attached at their forward ends below the places of attachment of the forward ends of the springs and farther away from the jack shafts ,than the 1 points of attachment of the forward ends 0f the-springs. This result isv desirably ac- J'complished by means of radius arm supf'por'ting brackets carried by hangers for the jack shaft and spring supporting brackets also carriedby these hangers; these latter brackets lying closer in towalrd the jack shaft than the formcra' 'In practising my invention I employ two pairs-of brackets at each side/of the automobile, one pair of brackets supporting the forward end of the contiguous radius arm and the other pair of brackets supporting the forward end of the contiguous vehicle body supporting whereby the width of the space jointly occupied by such radius rod and spring is reduced. By means of my inventionsemielliptical springs may be mounted to have their ends substantially level and may be connected with the frame of the automobile by means of shackles that are of the some length. Difi'erent pins are emploved for pivotally connecting the forward ends of the springs and the forward ends of the reach rods with the frame of the automobile whereinter- A he invention has other features and advantages which will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings that fully illustrate the preferred form of the invention and in which drawings Figure 1 is a viewof a portion of the structure illus' t-ratcd in Fig. 2 on linel 1 of Fig. 9.; Fig. 2 is a plan view of sullicicnt portions of'an automobile structure to illustrate the invention; Fig. 3 is a view of a part of the structure. as it is shown in Fig. l, on a larger scale; Fig. 4 is a view on line 4 4 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the hangers.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters ofroiere'nce throughout the diiferent figures.

The frame 1 of the automobile illustrated vehicle wheels Qlund at its rear upon tram t-ion wheels 3. As it will be understood. the

frame I carries a vehicle body above it and supports a power plant, a part of a well known form of power plant being illustrated but to the employment of which the invention is not to be limited. The shaft 4 which transfers 'power from the internal combustion engine or other motor of the power plant has a tubular housing 5 that is merged with the differential gear housing 6 that in turn is provided with tubular continuations 7 that inclose the ]llC l-I shaft 8 formed in sections that are united by gearing within the gear case 6 as is well understood by those skilled in the art. 'This jack shaft is shown as being provided with sprocket pinions 9 that are coupled by sprocket chains 10 with the traction wheels 3. these traction wheels carrying sprocket wheels 11 which are driven by the chains l0. These sprocket chains are adapted to drive the wheels; 3 independently of each othor, to ots bring pins :22 substantiall into line which cud these wheels are mounted to;rowith the jack shaft axis and tho ccnters of into upon the (load axle 12 which is clamped the driving wheels.

m the mid-portions of two semi-elliptical It will be obscrvcd that one of tho springs 18. The rear ends of these springs shackle supporting brackets 1? lies hctwmzn 13 are in flexible connection with the hang the radius arm supporting brackets where.- ers 14 through the intermodiution of by the length of the hungcr 18 may be shortshacklcslf: which are pivotally connected at ened a distance equal to the width of one their upper ends with the rear ends of'the springs 13 and which shackles are pivotully conncclcd at their lower ends with portions of ti? hangers 14 that project below the level of tho frame 1. The forward ends of the springs 13 are pivotally connected with the upper ends of shackles 16 whose lower ends are pivotally connected to brackets 17. The points of connection of the lower ends of the shackles 15 and 16 with the brucketqand hangers supporting them are substantially! equally distant below tho framc 1 whereby! the semi-elliptical spri 13 may have their ends substantially in t c some level. The brackets 17 are desirably rojected from tho ban em 18 that are provided for the jack sha 8, these hangers projecting later-all from brackets 19 that are bolted to the si or members of the frame 1. Each 'of these hangers desirably carries a. pair of brook ets 20 between which tho eye of a swivel oyo bolt 21 is disposed the shank of tho pin-22 passing thought 0 brackets 20 and said eye to afiord a pivotal mounting for the eye bolt which is a. structural part of o. rt:- dius arm 23. The radius arms are connected with the rear wheels 3 in the usual way for the well known purpose of preserving the distance between the common axis of the rear wheels and the axis of the shaft 8 as the frame 1 rises and falls with reopectto said wheels. Hitherto the forward end of each radius arm and the forwardcnd of the spring structure were attachcd to the frame by a single pin common to tho radius arm and spring structure with the result that the forward end of the spring structure was too low and would not be on a level with the rear and of the spring structure unless that end wcro also mounted too low. By vprovidture and the forward end of the a jucent radius arm the forward end of the spring structure may be elevated a suitable distance with reference to theforward end of the radius arm and moreover theforward curl of the spring; structure id placed more nearly above the hanger 18 and is therefore more firmly mounted than if it were supported further away from the hanger by means of a bolt having the location of the pin 22. A further advantage resides in the ability to employ shackles at both ends of each semi-elliptical spring that are equal in length to secure the desired level disposiion of the spring. Also the lowered bracking separate attachment for the spring strucchanges may readily be made without do Batting from the smgit of my invention but aving thus des cri my invention I c aim as new and dean-e to secure by Letters- Patout the following):-

1. An automo ile including the frame thereof; traction wheels; opting: by means of which said frame is supported upon the traction wheels [jack shaft in driving con mention with e traction wheels; radius arms extending between the traction wheels and the jack shaftand ha rs for the outer endsof the jack shoft, on. hanger bemg rovided with a gun of spaced apart bra between whic the forward end of the mociato, radius arm is disposed and other brackets that support the forward ends of the adjacent spring and one of which latter brackets is located between the brackets of the afo d radius arm supporting air of brackets, e place of attachment of t e forward end of the springs to their supportin brac to being further in toward the is. shaftthan the place of attachment of the forward ends of the radius arms to their supporting brackets.

2. An automobile including the frame thereof; traction wheels; springs by means of which said framojs shp rted upon the traction wheels; :3. ack 8 aft in driving connection with tho traction wheels; radius arms extonding between the tractionwhools and the jack shaftand hangers for the outer ends of the jack shaft, each hunger be ing provided-with a. pair of Spaced apart brackets betwcen which the forword end of extending between the traction wheels and pair being interposed between the brackets the jack shaft; and hangers for the outer of the other pair. 10 ends of the jack shaft, eech hanger being In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe provided with a pair of spaced'apart brackmy name this 13th da of June A. D., 1916.

5 ets between which the forward end of the WILL AM J. KENRICK.

associate radius arm is disposed and a pair Witnesses: of other brackets that support the forward G. L. Came,

end of the adjacent spring, a bracket of one B. L. Warm. 

